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Sunshine bodes well for big domani
It usually rains during Vinitaly. This was the message from Fabricio of the Italian Trade Commission, as he wondered at the unbroken spring sunshine that streamed down on Vinitaly 2004. A good omen? No doubt both the show organisers and the Italians as a whole hoped so, for both had reached something of a crossroads prior to the 38th edition of this five-day Fair. Talk beforehand focused on participants' past unhappiness over lack of parking and the very large, often `there-for-a-drink' public contingent allowed access over the weekend. A new trade-only show - MiWine, to be held in Milan in June, and seen as competition to Vinitaly - was another concern. But this was nothing, it would seem, in comparison with the Italian wine industry's woes in general; export figures for the first nine months of 2003 had shown a 17% decline year on year, even though already high prices were being sustained. A workshop on the question of consumer sale prices for wine was one of the many extracurricular events at the Fair. I was also frequently asked about prospects of exporting to South Africa; there were many disappointed faces at my less than positive response! Vinitaly, with its allied SOL (Olive Oil) and Enolitech (technology) exhibitions, might be advertised as "international", but despite a reported 300 international exhibitors from 31 countries, make no mistake - Vinitaly is about the host country. I dabbled in a couple of non-Italian wines but barely touched the olive oils and the grappas not at all, though I did sniff out some balsamic vinegar.
Italy is a world of wine in one country, with all its many varieties - from Ansonica to Zibibbo (and the better known international ones in between), styles - metodo classico to vin santo, and climates - from Mediterranean Sicily to the alpine purity of Trentino. No wonder that 12 of the 14 halls devoted to wine housed Italian regions exclusively. Thanks to help from well-informed professional wine friends in the UK, plus my own favourites from a past visit, I faced the first day with a list of quality producers. It would be a daunting task without one, even though ICE (Italian trade commission) drew up for the media a selection of events from the daily programme. The Italians can't be faulted when it comes to style - the stalls throughout were classy, offered beautiful tasting stemware to match and, despite the nearly 74 000 square metres of exhibition area, were easy to find. However, their organisation can lack attention to detail - following the daily programme delivered its own frustrations! But no show, especially one this size, is perfect. Vinitaly was generally a professional, well-run event. An excellent innovation, otherwise providing a helpful starting point, was the "Trendy Oggi, Big Domani" (Trendy Today, Big Tomorrow) section; this featured one hundred of Italy's up and coming, innovative producers, selected by Luca Maroni, author of one of Italy's best-known wine guides. Two wines from each, a flagship and good quality/value selection were available, either with a representative of the cellar in attendance or poured by one of the ubiquitous sommeliers. Listing each producer's Hall and Stand by the wines encouraged further exploration. A rewarding experience, given that it's too easy to be drawn just to the well-known names. Tasting opportunities ranged from the worthwhile to the downright amazing. The Trentino producers set up tables devoted to several examples of their little known varieties: Teroldego, Marzemino, both reds, and the white Nosiola were some I became acquainted with. One could select at will from a cornucopia of Brunello di Montalcinos laid on by the Consorzio: over 150 wines focusing on 1999s, 1998 Reservas and the earlier drinking Rossos. Individual producers, too, had dug deep into their cellars to be able to show older vintages: Jeffrey Chilcott, New Zealand cellarmaster at the highly-regarded Barbaresco producer, Marchesi di Gresy, positively spoilt me by uncorking bottles from their three top crus, spanning vintages from 2000 to 1990. And having considered touring Italy's southern regions later this year, the Fair offered a perfect opportunity for making useful contacts. The topic of tourism raises a question on the whole nature of exhibitions such as Vinitaly or Cape Wine. Where is/should their focus be heading? Su Birch, Wosa CEO, says Cape Wine might be a trade/media only event next time. "There are plenty of wine shows for the public." True here, but possibly not for Italy. Vinitaly seems resigned to the public factor, though producers admit it's the year's most important business opportunity with both foreign and local trade. Yet with 2 400 journalists from 60 countries in attendance and thousands of the 130 000 visitors being consumers, here was a captive audience ready to receive a message way beyond that of business-encouraging a wine culture or showing off Italy's indisputable wine excellence. The situation was ripe for the promotion of wine or agri-tourism - an opportunity that was almost entirely missed. If there was information regarding the wineries at regional stands, there was nothing else to encourage a visit; nothing about the attractions, whether historical or adventure sport, restaurants or accommodation. If the culture of wine is to spread, the traditional roles in the trade need to evolve. Both the sommelier and the salesperson need to know not only about the wine's compatibility with food or price, but have a wider knowledge about the whole culture of its provenance. The idea of having the Wine Tourism Forum at Cape Wine was a good one - it's a theme that could be usefully adopted and developed everywhere. The post-Fair Press Release glowed that Vinitaly 2004 "indisputably confirm[ed] its importance within the international exhibition panorama as a meeting place for wine producers, distributors, caterers and importers from all over the world, a landmark for comparison and a crossroads for business and ideas capable of assisting and guiding the re-launch of the entire sector". Some attention to wine and agri-tourism could indeed validate the last part of the organisers' claims. If the response to improvements was so positive this year, one must hope the organisers are encouraged to build on this for Vinitaly 2005 - and that the spring sun once again shines munificently on them. *Angela was flown to Italy and hosted there courtesy of the Italian Trade Commission. |
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